Horse-releaser.



J. J. HARPER.

HORSE RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2a, 1908.

Patented May 18, 1909.

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THE NOR?! s PETE R5 co., WASHINGTON, 0. c4

J. J. HARPER.

HORSE RELEASE-R APPLIOATION FILED, MAY 2a, 1908.

921 ,987, Patented May 18, 1909.

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JESSE J. HARPER, OF QUININE, NORTH CAROLINA.

HORSE-RELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Application filed. May 28, 1908. Serial No. 435,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jesse J. HARPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Quinine, in the county of Randolph, State of North Carolina,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Releasers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to horse releasing devices, under the control ofthe driver in a vehicle, whereby a horse may be instantly detached fromthe vehicle in event of his running away or becoming unruly, or for anyother purpose.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructeddevice whereby the traces or draft tugs may be forcibly dislodged from aswingle-tree by the action of the driver.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice whereby the holding thongs and the traces may be simultaneouslydislodged from the swingletree, such dislodging mechanism being underthe control of the driver in the vehicle.

it 'ith these and other objects in view the invention consists incertain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and describedand then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a vehicle including theswingle-tree and portions of the thills with the improved device applied. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same. Fig.3 is a plan view of the whiiile-tree detached, with the detachingdevices in trace releasing position. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the partsshown in Fig. 1 with the parts in position to receive the traces. Fig. 5is an enlarged detail of one end of the swingle-tree, with the improveddevice attached. Fig. 6 is a section, onlarged, on the line 66 of Fig.1.

In the drawings, a conventional vehicle is shown comprising a body 10, aseat 11, a forward axle 12 having the bearing wheels 13 -14, the shaftsor thills 15-16 having the usual cross bar 17 and with a swingle-tree 18of ordinary construction pivoted at 19 to the cross bar, the outer endsof the swingle-tree adapted to receive the traces or tugs, portions ofwhich are shown respectively at 20- 21, and with the terminals of theswingle tree provided with apertures 2223 outside the traces, theapertures adapted to receive the free ends of flexible thongs 2425, theinner ends of the thongs being attached in any suitable manner to theswingle-tree. This discloses the ordinary method of fastening thecarriage traces to the swingle-tree, as will be obvious.

Slidably engaging the swingle-tree near their outer ends and just insidethe portions that receive the traces are sleeves 2627, and pivoted at2829 to these sleeves are rods 30-31, the outer ends of the rodsextended beyond the sleeves and forked as at 3233, the forked portionsadapted to engage the thongs f2425 for a purpose hereafter explained.

Pivoted at 34--35 to the swingle-tree 18 are two rods 36 -37, the outerends of the rods pivoted to the inner ends of the inner rods 3031 andthe inner ends of the inner rods 3637 overlapping, as shown. Attached tothe swingle-tree centrally thereof is a guide member 38, and extendingloosely through this guide member is a pull rod 39, one terminal of thepull rod formed into a loop 40 encompassing the overlapping inner endsof the inner rods 36-37. The rod 39 is extended to the bot y 10 of thevehicle, and upturned to a point convenient to the hand of the driver.

With the device thus constructed and the pull rod 39 disposed in itsinoperative position, the sleeves 26-27 will be maintained in theirwithdrawn or inoperative position, and so long as the horse is movingnormally, the attachment will remain inoperative, but in event of thehorse becoming unruly or attempting to run away, the driver caninstantly release the horse from the vehicle by simply pulling upon therod 39 which will actuate the system of levers and force the sleeves2627 outwardly, and simultaneously detach the thongs from the aperturesthrough the action of the forked ends of the outer levers and throw thetraces free of the swingle-tree, and thus detach the horse.

The device may be employed for disconnecting the horse under ordinaryconditions when it is desired to release the animal, the releasingdevice being more convenient than those usually employed. By providingthe harness with lines of more than usual length,

the driver can remain in the vehicle, release the horse, and permit thehorse to walk out from between the shafts.

The rods may be of metal as light as necessary consistent with thestrains to which they will be subjected, and may he applied with slightand immaterial modifications to vehicles of different sizes, and isequally applicable to the lightest buggies or the heaviest draftvehicles, and may be applied with slight and immaterial modifications totwo horses as well as to a single horse.

What is claimed, is

1. The combination with a swingle-tree adapted to support draft traceshaving perforations at the ends, sleeves slidable over the swingle-tree,rods connected to said sleeves and extending over said perforations andwith forked terminals, flexible members connected. to said swingle-treeand extending through the forks of said rods and also through theapertures of the swingle-tree,

and means under the control of the driver for moving said rodslongitudinally of the swingle-tree.

2. The combination with a vehicle including a swingle-tree with the endsof the swin le-tree adapted to receive draft traces, mem ers movablyengaging the swingle-tree and adapted when actuated to force said tracesfrom engagement with the swingletree, inner rods pivoted intermediatetheir ends to said swingle-tree and with their inner ends overlapping,outer rods pivoted at their ends respectively to the outer ends of saidinner rods and to said movable members, a pull rod movably engaging theoverlapping portions of said inner rods and leading to the vehicle body,and means under the control of the driver for actuating said pull rod.

3. The combination with a vehicle including a swingle-tree having theends adapted to receive traces, members engaging the swingletree andadapted when actuated to force said traces from engagement with theswingletree, inner rods pivoted intermediate their ends to saidswingle-tree and with their inner ends overlapping, outer rods pivotedat their ends respectively to the outer ends of said inner rods and tosaid movable members, a guide device connected centrally to saidswi'ngle-tree, a rod movably en aging said guide device and likewisemovab y engaging the overlapping portions of said inner rods and leadingto the vehicle body, and means under the control of the driver foractuating said pull rod.

4. The combination with a vehicle including a swingle-tree provided withmeansat the ends for receiving traces, sleeves slidable upon saidswingle-tree, inner rods pivoted i intermediate their ends to saidswingle-trec and with their inner ends overlapping, outer rods pivotedat their ends respectively to the outer ends of said inner rods and tosaid sleeves, a pull rod movably engaging the overlapping portions ofsaid inner rod and loading to the vehicle body, and means under thecontrol of the driver for actuating said pull rod. v

5. The combination with a vehicle including a swingle-tree havingperforations at the ends, flexible thongs connected at one end to theswingle-tree and with the other end proj'ecting tl'i'rough the aperturesoutside the traces, sleeves slidably engaging saidswirigletree insidethe traces, inner rods pivoted in termediate their ends to saidswingle-tree with their inner ends overlapping, outer rods pivoted attheir inner ends respectively to the outer ends of said inner rods andpivotally engaging said sleeves and extending beyond. the same and withtheir free ends forked and adapted to recelve said thongs, and a pullrod movably engaging the overlapping ends of said inner rods andextendedtoa point convenient to the driver in the vehicle, said rodsbeing so disposed as to maintain the sleeves and the forked portions ofthe rods in inoperative position, and adapted to detach the thongs anddislodge the traces when the pull rod is actuated.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signa' ture, in presence of twowitnesses.

JESSE J. HARPER.

Witnesses:

J. D. Ross, F, E. B'YRD.

